


And Possibly Poughkeepsie

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-22
Updated: 2008-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "You don't desert your friends...you taught me that."





	And Possibly Poughkeepsie

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: written for sorkin_fest on live journal. The prompt was Toby and Huck, grown up.  


* * *

“It was wonderful to meet you, Mr. Ziegler.” Dr. Samuel Lawford stood and shook Toby’s hand. The former Communications Director smiled. “You also, Huckleberry. Good luck on picking the right college…I hope you will keep Penn in mind.”

“I will sir.”

Huck shook his hand before he and his father made their way out of his office. Walking down the halls Huck marveled at the place and Toby marveled at him. Out on Chestnut Street, he slipped on his shades.

“Where did we park?”

“Up the block.” Huck said. “I hope we didn’t get a ticket. I pumped the meter full of practically all the quarters I had. So, what did you think?”

“Isn't it more important what you think?”

“Dad do you always have to answer me with questions? C’mon.”

Toby smiled, squeezing Huck’s shoulder. They reached the rented SUV and were relieved to find they did not have a violation. He gave the keys to his son.

“Penn is an excellent school.” Toby said as they both climbed in and buckled their seatbelts. “I think their journalism program would suit you. Also, you're used to big city living so I would not have to worry about you.” Toby stopped, scratching his beard. “Actually, I would still worry about you.”

“I was going to say.”

Huck started the car, electronica blasting out of the speakers. He decided to stop torturing his father so he fiddled around with the local stations until he found The Doors.

“What were you going to say, smarty?”

“Nothing. I like Penn too and I really want to narrow the list down to no more than six schools. It could definitely be on the list.”

They both bopped their heads to Hello, I Love You. Toby glanced at Huck while he drove. As if the uncanny resemble between father and son was not enough, it seemed that Huck also inherited his slightly off-rhythm bop. Toby was unsure if this was nature or nurture.

In three weeks, Huck would begin his senior year of high school. He was currently #3 in his class with a 3.96 GPA. He was Student Council Vice-President, co-captain of the Forensics Team, staffer on the yearbook committee, and features editor of the school newspaper. His classmates also voted him Junior Prom King. Last month he scored a 1520 on his SAT and received word that Sci-Fi and Fantasy Magazine would publish two of his stories.

Huck still managed to find time to work with kids at the Temple…it was only a few days ago that he returned home from five weeks away as a camp Counselor. When he wasn’t sleeping, he was also teaching himself to play the acoustic guitar. Toby could only vaguely remember the days when he had so much energy.

“How’s your list coming along?”

“There’s NYU, Yale, American, Northwestern, Penn, and Fordham. I'm definitely applying to Berkeley though I doubt I want to go all the way to California. Oh, and Vassar because Sasha has her heart set on going there so we’re applying together.”

Toby thought Sasha Bickle might be Huck’s girlfriend. He was not sure of those kinds of things and he never asked. They had gone on the junior prom together and she was a frequent visitor to the Ziegler’s Brooklyn brownstone. He still tried to grasp the concept of his son dating. 

If he closed his eyes, he could still see Huck and Molly on those little bicycles they had with the training wheels. They used to race up and down the driveway, wearing the large helmets their mother bought for them. They were full of laughter and so natural in their glee. Andi would snap pictures as Toby watched from the porch. Now they were both growing up and Toby wanted to hold on with both hands. 

“You're far away.” Huck said. “You do that sometimes.”

“I do it a lot but I'm not right now.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Soon you're going to be gone. I'm remembering the day you and your sister came into the world. You had hats, you know?”

“I know.” Huck smiled.

“You had these cute little hats and the most beautiful, innocent faces. I remember watching your mother hold you for the first time; touch your fingers and your faces. I missed your first word but saw your first steps. I didn’t teach you to ride a bike but I gave you the gift of my words. I pray everyday that you're never sad.”

“What do you mean? I'm not sad right now and I'm not going anywhere.”

“You have to grow up eventually,” Toby replied. “I'm resigning myself to that fact.”

“You are my best friend.” Huck said. “Sure, I may go away for a little while but I will always come back. You don’t desert your friends…you taught me that.”

“The lure of college in the big city is great.”

“Dad, we live in the best city in the world as far as I'm concerned. Especially if I want to study journalism. Honestly, it’s going to be there, Chicago, or DC. I gotta tell you that’s what's keeping me from being too keen on Vassar. Poughkeepsie. While not backwater or anything, it is a college town. I want to be me; not having to conform to any standards. I don’t want to be looked at as the weird, bisexual, Jewish New Yorker.”

“Did you say bisexual?” Toby looked at him. He may have stopped breathing.

“Dad, we talked about…Oh my God, we didn’t talk about this?”

“My memory is pretty good; I'm searching frantically but coming up with nothing.”

“We really didn’t?” stopping at a red light the Ziegler men just looked at each other. Huck lost the staring contest; he had ever since he was a little boy. Except this time, he didn’t look away giggling like a maniac.

“Nope.”

“Wanna grab a late lunch and talk about it?”

Toby definitely wanted to grab a late lunch. He didn’t know about talking about it. He was almost seventy years old and the idea of talking to his son about sex freaked him out. He sat Huck down for the talk when he was eleven. He knew he had to do it while Huck was still young. It was a hellish experience for the father/son duo but they made it through unscathed. Toby wasn’t sure he would make it through this.

“I am hungry but we only have to talk as much as you’re comfortable with. I'm never going to stop loving you so you don’t have to convince me about that. I think you are too young to have sex with anyone but I am not so old as to believe that you aren’t. I was 17 once.”

“The good old days?” Huck asked. The car was moving again.

“That’s what they tell me. Always practice safe sex and use the intelligent mind God gave you…and you'll be fine. I'm always here to talk, even about the stuff that makes me uncomfortable.”

“There's a place called Moriarty’s on 11th and Walnut Street. My friend Mike told me they have the best Buffalo wings in the state. Wanna test that theory?”

They both smiled, again looking identical. Toby opened the glove compartment, pulled out the bottle of Pepcid chewables and popped one.

“OK, I'm ready.”

They were downtown now, Huck doing a great job of controlling himself in the throngs of heavy traffic. Someone tried to cut him off, get from behind the bus in the right lane, but Huck just honked and moved on. Toby managed not to give him any directions. He was doing fine and he wouldn’t be around forever to guide his hand. The younger man could handle it; he’d taught him to in the seven years they were together.

Huck said once, more than once, that he needed his father to teach him how to be a man. Staring at him, still bopping offbeat to REM, Toby knew he’d done exactly that. Still a few years from being a grown up, his son stood on firm foundation. Whether this was his doing or someone with a lot more power, patience, and wisdom, Toby Ziegler was grateful beyond words.

“I know there are a lot of parking lots on Broad Street, Huck. Park in one of them and we will explore a bit. Turn right at the next light.”

“OK. Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I really thought I told you and I'm sorry. I guess I had the conversation so many times in my head that my brain was confused and thought one of them was real. I know that must sound like a line but it’s the truth.”

“You have no idea how many times that has happened to me. Usually with your mother.”

“Really?” Huck snickered.

“Really. I love you, Huckleberry Wyatt Ziegler. I am so proud to have an amazing son like you. If there is nothing else I leave on this Earth when I go, I am content to have left my children.”

Huck smiled, finding a parking lot. He pulled in and grabbed a ticket. He drove up three levels to find a spot. Soon they were back out in the bright sunshine of a summer afternoon in Philadelphia. They crossed Broad Street, which had four lanes and Toby could only smile when his son placed his hand protectively on his back.

“I hope this Pepcid kicks in before we start scarfing down Buffalo wings,” he said once they were safe on the sidewalk.

“How will you know if it didn’t?”

“It won't take long for it to come back and haunt me. It was extra strength…I should be OK.”

Huck nodded. He wanted to say many things to his father but found he did not have all the words. Well, they were there but it was far easier to scribble them in one of his many notebooks then to say them aloud. Though he never had to worry about anything but a loving embrace when it came to his Dad.

“Something is on your mind.” Toby said.

“How do you know that?”

“Your eyebrows changed.”

“My…what?”

“I have all of your facial expressions down to a science.” Toby replied, laughing. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing. Everything is great.” Huck put his arm around Toby’s shoulder. “I'm just glad I have some time with my best friend. I'm grateful for every moment we’ve had together.”

Toby kissed his temple as they walked down the bustling street. The former Communications Director knew it was selfish but he decided at that moment that Penn could not have his son. He wasn’t ready for their time together to end.

***


End file.
